Senate clears bill to let state seek injunctions against politically‑motivated reservoir releases
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Summary
AB 1146 would allow the State Water Resources Control Board to petition a court for a temporary restraining order or injunction to stop a reservoir operator from releasing water on false pretenses; the committee moved the bill forward after testimony about last winter's releases to the Tulare Lakebed.
The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee passed AB 1146 to the Judiciary Committee. The bill was introduced after a high‑profile January incident in which federal releases from Success Lake flowed into the Tulare Lakebed and did not reach the Southern California communities the federal action reportedly intended to assist.
Assemblymember Papin (author) said the bill is designed to prevent future releases of state or federal water for political purposes by giving the State Water Resources Control Board a mechanism to seek a temporary restraining order or injunction from court to halt a release. Under the measure, knowingly misleading claims about intended use could trigger enforcement; violations could carry civil penalties (up to $2,000 per day as cited in committee testimony) and potential misdemeanor exposure under existing statutes.
Supporters included the Planning and Conservation League and environmental organizations, which argued the bill would deter misuse of scarce water resources and restore public trust. No organized opposition testified in committee. Committee members praised the bill’s goal and advanced it as modified in committee amendments that cleared earlier points of contention.
Next step: AB 1146 was moved on to the Judiciary Committee; sponsors said they expect the bill to be refined further in follow‑up work if necessary.